Suffolk SMP2 Sub-cell 3c Policy Development Zone 3 – Easton Broad to Dunwich Cliffs Suffolk Coastal District Council/Waveney District Council/ Environment Agency January 2010 Version 9 CONTENTS Page 4.3 POLICY DEVELOPMENT ZONE 3 1 4.3.1 OVERVIEW 3 4.3.2 PRESENT MANAGEMENT 14 4.3.3 DISCUSSION AND DETAILED POLICY DEVELOPMENT 22 4.3.4 SWD 08 - SOUTHWOLD AND SOUTHWOLD NORTH 37 4.3.5 BLY 09 - THE DENES TO WALBERSWICK INCLUDING THE MOUTH OF THE ESTUARY 47 4.3.6 BLY 10 - BLYTH INNER ESTUARY 59 4.3.7 DUN 11 - WALBERSWICK MARSHES AND DUNWICH 71 PDZ 3 9S4195/RPDZ3/301164/PBor Version 9 January 2010 4.3 POLICY DEVELOPMENT ZONE 3 Easton Broad to Dunwich Cliffs Chainage: 21 to 30. PDZ 3 9S4195/RPDZ3/301164/PBor Version 9 - PDZ3:1 - January 2010 9S4195/RPDZ3/301164/PBor PDZ 3 January 2010 - PDZ3:2 - Version 9 4.3.1 OVERVIEW PRINCIPAL FEATURES (further details are provided in Appendix D) Built Environment: The market town of Southwold, together with Reydon, forms an important centre for the area. Closely associated with Southwold is the village of Walberswick to the south of the River Blyth. Further south is the smaller village of Dunwich. Southwold/Walberswick harbour lies at the mouth of the River Blyth. To the north of Southwold are properties at Southend Warren and at Easton Lane. Between these is Broadside Park Farm. The village of Blythburgh is sited within the estuary, some 6km from the mouth. The A12 runs on an embankment across the estuary at Blythburgh. The main road into Southwold is the A1095 which runs along the north side of the Blyth valley, crossing the Wolsey bridge behind Reydon Marshes. This road crosses Buss Creek and continues into Southwold. The main Sewage Works is located within the low lying valley of Buss Creek which runs between Reydon and Southwold. There is an operational Lighthouse on the Southwold Headland. Southwold has an important sea front promenade which includes Southwold Pier. With the exception of the towns and villages, most of the land within the zone is agricultural. Heritage and Amenity: There are numerous listed structures within Southwold highlighting its cultural significance. The historic port of Walberswick has been affected over the centuries by changes to the Blyth estuary, resulting in the earliest church site lying outside the present settlement to the south. Town and Robinson marches are examples of early land reclamation to the north of the village. Dunwich was a substantial port town, with surviving extra- mural scheduled ancient monuments at Greyfriars and the Maison Dieu hospital. Walberswick, including the harbour, is similarly of high potential archaeological importance covering Saxon and Roman periods. Robinson’s Marsh within the estuary is also identified as being an area of potential historical importance. Southwold, Walberswick and Dunwich are all important for tourism and beach use. The Southwold/Walberswick harbour area is important for recreational water use and the beach at Dunwich supports fishing interests. The whole coast lies within the Suffolk Coast and Heath AONB, providing a rich mixture of unique and vulnerable lowland landscapes. Nature Conservation: The Blyth Estuary and the Walberswick marshes form part of the Minsmere-Walberswick Ramsar Site. The upland areas behind Walberswick and the Walberswick Marshes are designated as part of the Minsmere to Walberswick Heath and Marshes SAC, and much of the inner estuary, the heath land, Walberswick marshes and foreshore are designated within the Minsmere-Walberswick SPA. SSSI areas not within the SPA designation include Town Marshes to the south of Southwold and Easton Bavents to the coast north. Much of the area is covered by national and international designations reflecting its high conservation value. STAKEHOLDER OBJECTIVES (the development of objectives is set out in Appendix B based on objectives listed in Appendix E) To maintain Southwold, Reydon and Walberswick as viable commercial centres and tourist destinations in a sustainable manner; To develop and maintain Southwold’s Blue Flag beach; To sustain recreational opportunities of beaches and associated facilities; To maintain the character, commercial and recreational activities, and navigation to Southwold Harbour and associated area; To maintain the cultural value of Southwold and the Blyth Valley; To support adaptation by the local coastal communities, including Dunwich; To maintain Dunwich as a viable community; To maintain the regional transport link and transport links throughout the area; PDZ 3 9S4195/RPDZ3/301164/PBor Version 9 - PDZ3:3 - January 2010 To support adaptation of the agricultural interest; To maintain important heritage and archaeological value, To maintain biological and geological features in a favourable condition, subject to natural change and in the context of a dynamic coastal environment; To maintain or enhance the high quality landscape; and To support appropriate ecological adaptation of habitats. 9S4195/RPDZ3/301164/PBor PDZ 3 January 2010 - PDZ3:4 - Version 9 DESCRIPTION The zone extends southwards from the northern limit of the Easton Bavents Cliffs down to and including the northern section of cliffs at Dunwich. A ridge of highland runs from Reydon to the coast at Easton Bavents and closely associated with this General topography and is the headland of Southwold. Between these two bathymetry of the zone features is Southwold Ness, a slight forward projection of the nearshore area in front of the north entrance to the Buss Creek valley. Buss Creek runs to the rear of Southwold, entering the Blyth estuary upstream of the Town Marshes. To the south of the Southwold headland is the main entrance to the Blyth estuary, a potentially wide mouthed inlet. This entrance has been controlled at the harbour mouth by the harbour structures and, within the lower estuary, by reclamation of the flood plain to the north and south constraining a narrow channel over the initial 3km. Immediately upstream and continuing to the A12 crossing at Blythburgh, defences have been abandoned and the estuary forms a wide area of intertidal mudflats. The tidal estuary channel continues inland within a narrowing valley through to Blyford, a further 3km upstream of Blythburgh. On the northern side of the estuary is a further low lying valley of the river Wang joining the main estuary at Wolsey Bridge, upstream of the defended Reydon Marshes. On the south side of the estuary, opposite Northern Harbour Arm Reydon Marsh, is Tinkers Marsh. These two defended areas lie upstream of the Bailey footbridge at the upstream end of the relatively straight Harbour Reach. To either side of the Harbour Reach are, to the north, the reclaimed Woodsend, Town and Havenbeach Marshes, and, to the south, the Robinson’s Marsh. The north side of the Harbour Reach acts as the main quay for Southwold harbour; Walberswick quay being confined to an area nearer the mouth just upstream of where the Dunwich River enters the estuary to the seaward side of Walberswick. Blyth Estuary The estuary mouth projects out beyond the obvious influence of the Southwold headland forming a small ebb tide delta. The projection of the nearshore contours north of the entrance suggests a possible projection of the geology of the headland into the nearshore area. However, there is no geotechnical evidence of this. Easton Cliff To the north of the estuary, and clearly held by the harbour structures, is a wide area of sand beach and low dunes. This connects to the extensively groyned frontage in front of the town itself, with PDZ 3 9S4195/RPDZ3/301164/PBor Version 9 - PDZ3:5 - January 2010 a narrow beach running through to the pier. A promenade runs at the back of the beach providing protection to the toe of the coastal slope up to the town centre. To the north of the pier, land levels drop to the Buss Creek or Easton Marshes valley. The front line sea defence, with the main sea front car park behind, is protected on the foreshore by newly constructed short rock groynes. This defence extends through to the higher ground of the Easton Cliffs and closes off the 400m width of Buss Creek. Private works in the form of an earth bund have been placed to the toe of the cliff to protect property above. This bund has now largely eroded. The cliff continues north towards Easton Broad. The properties at Easton Lane are towards the northern end of this section, some 1.5km north of the main town of Southwold. To the south of the estuary, the village of Walberswick is set back some 250m from the dune Walberswick foreshore. The dune ridge is backed by the channel of the Dunwich River. There are flood defences landward of this channel protecting the village of Walberswick. The village extends north to the Blyth with the main part of the village being on higher ground. There are only a small number of properties actually down at the quay. The outfall of the Dunwich River is controlled through a sluice which also provides limited access to an area used for car parking. Access is also provided to the collection of beach huts to the rear of the dunes. The Dunwich River flows north from Dunwich behind the dune line running across low lying land behind the natural sea defence. The nature of the foreshore along this section changes from dunes to a narrow shingle bank within the first 1km south of the Blyth estuary. The marsh lands behind this shingle bank are extensive. To the northern end is Corporation Marsh and, further south, Reedland and Dunwich Bay Dingle Marshes, which extend down to Dunwich. To the back of Corporation Marsh is a second valley, the Westwood Marshes, extending inland for some 2.5km. At the seaward end of the ridge of higher ground separating the Westwood Marsh valley from the Dunwich River valley are Dingle Great Hill and Dingle Little Hill, with Dingle Fort and Dingle Great Farm situated on this ridge.